Family Links
by Shroomie
Summary: What happens when Spike is kidnapped and taken to the future? A very familiar future. . .
1. Mystery Guests

Author: Shroomie Title: Family Links Spoilers: Set after Tabula Rosa Disclaimer: Not mine. I can dream though. Comments: My first, so let me know what you think, please! (  
  
  
  
Mystery Guests  
  
*three short cloaked figures huddle by a gravestone in Sunnydale cemetery* "Do you think he's in there?" a voice asked from behind his cloak. The other two figures were silent in response. The figure that had spoken sighed, then walked silently towards the open crypt door in front of them. He paused briefly, waiting for the others to follow. Together, they walked through the door, solemn and poised, as if to face a great evil.  
  
"Bloody hell." Spike picked another empty bottle off the floor, scattering the rest with his foot. "Stupid bitch," he sighed, "Who the hell does she think she is?" He dropped the empty bottle back to the floor, muttering, "the bloody ice queen, that's who she is, all high and mighty, look at me, I'm the slayer, you're just a vampire, evil soulless vampire." He finally found a bottle that wasn't empty and settled into his chair, grabbing the remote to flick on the television. "Stupid bint really, I should just do what she says and leave. Yeah, she'd like that, then next time she comes to drop 'lil sis off, I wouldn't be here. That'd show her all right, and," Spike stopped mid sentence as he noticed the three cloaked figures in the doorway. "Eh, you there, what you doing here?" When they didn't answer, Spike rose out of his chair, his voice threatening, "This here's my crypt, go and get your own!" One of the three stared intensely at the vampire, before turning to the other two and nodding. Together the three of them began to chant. "Ah-ki-notala, ah-ki-notolo, hi-yam-manot, ah-ki-notala" "What the hell?" was all Spike could say as swirls of red and gold light began to surround him. He felt a surge of energy rush through his body, then everything went black. 


	2. A Familiar Face

A Familiar Face Spike woke up with a pounding headache. He rubbed his head with one hand, while pushing himself up with the other. what am I doing on the floor? must of drank too much last night. funny, I don't remember drinking at all. went out, met Buffy, fought, came back, found a bottle, saw three little cloaked. . .hey! those, Before Spike could finish that thought, he realized there were voices coming from somewhere close by. Standing up, he surveyed his surroundings, thinking the room looked very familiar. He noticed a door in the corner and went to try it. Finding it unlocked, Spike pushed it open a crack to peer into the room outside, where the voices were coming from. "You could have been killed!" a pacing woman yelled, her back to him. There was something very familiar about her, Spike thought, as he noticed her blond hair and short stature. She continued yelling as she paced, hands gesturing wildly. "Magic is not something to fool around with! What were you thinking?" Spike opened the door a little more to try and see the object of her wrath. The three cloaked figures were sitting on a counter in front of the woman, their hoods pulled down to reveal that they were children, two girls and a boy. They looked to be about nine or ten, all with their arms crossed, the boy with brown hair and dark brown eyes, one girl with long black hair and pale brown eyes, the other with light blond hair and bright blue eyes. Spike felt a strange wave of compassion for the blond girl as he saw her raise her head with determination and face the woman. "We were just trying to help," she said quietly, but with a strong voice. "Yeah!" the other two chimed up, but were quickly silenced with a glare from the woman. The blond girl uncrossed her arms, pushing herself into a standing position on the counter. As she stood, Spike looked at the shelves behind her, seeing they held magic supplies. He gasped as he glanced over his shoulder, taking in the room he stood in, realizing that he knew where he was. This was the Magic Box, and he was in the training room. His attention was drawn back to the blond girl as she spoke, louder and stronger than before. "He's my dad, and I love him too, you know, and they have him! I want to help get him back, and if bringing him here is what it takes," she pointed to the door of the training room, stopping her sentence suddenly, her eyes widening as she saw Spike standing there. The woman, noticing her look, followed her gaze, turning around. Spike's face filled with disbelief as he recognized her. He held on to the door for support as he spoke. "Bloody hell. Buffy?" 


	3. Explanations

Explanations "Spike! You're ok!" the blond girl leapt off the counter, followed by the black-haired one. They stopped a few feet in front of him, looking up solemnly. "We didn't hurt you did we?" the black-haired girl asked quietly, before quickly looking down at her feet. Spike, very confused about what was happening, didn't know how to respond, wasn't even sure if he should respond. Looking at their very concerned faces, he sighed, "No pets, I'm not hurt." Both girls' faces lit up with smiles when he said this, and they surrounded him in a three-person hug. Not expecting the hugs, Spike flinched, but didn't push them away. Instead, he put a hand on each head, causing them to look up. "I think this might be the time for explanations," all three looked up at Buffy as she spoke. "Rosie, Kat, Alex, you brought him here, you explain," Buffy spoke quietly, only glancing at Spike, as if it was hard for her to look at him. Spike felt hurt by this, but tried not to show it. The two girls reluctantly pulled away from the vampire, taking his hands and leading him to a chair. As he looked around, he noticed the others in the room: Anya, Xander, Tara, Willow, and Dawn. He knew who they were, yet they all looked different, older somehow. Dawn smiled at him encouragingly as he took his seat. The blond girl smiled at Spike before starting. "Hi. My name is Katherine Joyce Summers. I am ten years old and I was born in England." "Kat, sweetie," Tara interrupted her speech, "This isn't a book report on you. Maybe we could skip ahead to the part where you guys did the spell?" The other girl, Rosie apparently, giggled as Kat blushed. "Yes Aunt Tara," she continued, "Spike, we did a spell to go back to the past and bring you here to the future. Well, Rosie actually did the spell, but Alex and I helped." Spike's face was expressionless as he heard all of this. When Kat paused, he looked around the room at the others, slowly, as if in disbelief. "So you're sayin' this is the future, my future?" Kat, Rosie, and Alex nodded. He pointed to each in turn as he spoke about them. "So, 'lil witch girl belongs to Glenda an' Red, an' he must be the whelp's, so you're," Spike's sentence dropped off when he looked at Kat. "You must be Buffy's." When Kat nodded, Spike stood up suddenly, his chair falling backwards to the ground. "Take me back," he said with a cold voice, "I don't want to be here. Take me back, now!" 


	4. Wrong Assumptions

Wrong Assumptions As Spike began to pace fervently around the room, hitting things out of his way, the adults all stood up, as if afraid of what he might do. Xander pulled the kids behind him. Tara and Willow shared a quick look, both wondering if Spike could handle this trip. Tara looked at the vampire thoughtfully, something suddenly occurring to her. *Willow* Tara spoke to the other witch in her thoughts, a practice they had perfected over the years. *Yeah?* Willow responded. *I don't think it's the time travel that has Spike upset. I think it's something different* Tara began. *Like what, sweetie?* Willow asked. *Well, from what the kids said, they took him shortly after our little musical time, um, after, well, the large scale memory erasing* Willow shifted a little uncomfortably at this reference. It had taken her a long time to earn back Tara's trust, everyone's trust, after that. Tara continued *We know now that Buffy and him had just started to get together then, but he doesn't think they have any chance. So, he comes here, sees that Buffy has a daughter, knowing that vampires normally can't have children, and he* Willow cut in *He assumes that Buffy has moved on from him. Of course. That added with the fact that he isn't here with us makes him think he's been taken out of her life. He's not mad, he's hurting* Tara smiled *Exactly baby* "Spike," Willow stepped towards him, speaking softly, "You need to sit down and here the rest of this." Spike stopped pacing, turning towards the witch. "Yeah Red?" he smiled grimly, "And what if I don't?" Willow wasn't phased at all. "Then I'll make you sit down, but it wouldn't be as pleasant for you." Spike raised an eyebrow at her calm threat, started to say a rude response, then looked at her face and thought better of it. Willow might not be the Slayer, but she had a very scary resolved face. Spike sat down. "Alright then. Talk." The rest of the room eased back into their chairs, Rosie crawling into Tara's lap, Alex sitting on the floor at Xander's feet, and Kat sitting in Buffy's chair, since the Slayer alone remained standing. *Buffy* Willow spoke into her friend's mind. Buffy, used to this over time, looked at Willow without responding. *He needs to know. Not all of it, but the essentials about Kat and the reason she brought him here* the witch said this quietly, knowing Buffy didn't want to tell. Buffy sighed, nodded again, and began. "Spike," he looked up at her, pain and mistrust evident in his face. She flinched from the hurt she saw there. "Kat is my daughter." This time it was Spike who flinched. He looked down, not wanting to meet Buffy's eyes. "She's also your daughter." Spike's head shot up. "What?" he asked in disbelief. Buffy down Kat, who had come to stand beside her. The little girl smiled at her mother, then shifted her gaze to smile at her father. "Hi Daddy." Spike looked first at his daughter, then her mother, before fainting in his chair. 


	5. Why am I here?

When Spike woke up, he was laying on the floor, several faces peering down at him. "Daddy?" Kat asked, "Are you okay?" Spike sat up, his face filled with bewilderment.  
  
Xander was the first to speak up. "Buffy, maybe Anya and I should take the kids out for an ice cream." Buffy nodded at this, as the kids smiled and ran to the door.  
  
Willow and Tara exchanged another glance, this time Willow speaking into Tara's mind. *Maybe we should* *Yeah* Tara responded. "Buffy," Willow said, "We're gonna home and try the locator spell again." Dawn, realizing that everyone was trying to give Buffy and Spike some time alone, spoke up. "Yeah, Buff, I'm just gonna head home," she glanced over at Spike, still on the floor, "I'll make dinner tonight, just come on over when you guys are ready." With that, everyone except the Slayer and the vampire left the shop.  
  
Buffy walked over to the counter and started straightening things up. Spike watched her from his seat on the floor, silently. After a few minutes, he stood up, walking over to join her.  
  
"When?" Buffy turned her head at the question. "From what Kat said, pretty soon after they took you. We, that is, you and I, it just happens. I try and hide it from my friends, but eventually they find out." Spike nodded as he tried to take all of this in. "And Kat?" For the first time, Buffy looked Spike in the eye. "She's ten, so about a year from your time," the Slayer smiled as she said this.  
  
Spike, noting the happy look on Buffy's face, turned his head away. "What happens to us?" he asked, hurt in his voice. "Well, we still live in Mom's old house, with Dawn, although she isn't there very much, she stays with friends a lot," Buffy began. Spike's head shot up, "You mean we're still together?" he asked. Buffy just laughed. "Of course. Why wouldn't we be?" "Oh, I dunno, the fact that I'm a vampire and you're the Slayer?" Buffy smiled, "That excuse stopped working a long time ago." Spike, not knowing what else to say, looked at Buffy and smiled. She smiled back, taking his hand.  
  
"So, luv, why'd the 'lil bits bring me here then?" Spike finally broke the silence. At his words, Buffy tensed, pulling her hand away from his and wrapping her arms around herself. She sighed, started to talk, but instead shook her head. A few tears trickled down her face, causing Spike's heart to tear. He pulled her back into his arms, whispering soothingly.  
  
"Buffy?" The pair turned towards the door to see Giles standing there. "Giles!" Buffy broke free from Spike's arms to run into the Watcher's. Giles smiled as her hugged her back, before releasing her. "Buffy I don't understand, I thought you called me to help you find Spike?" he asked. Buffy sighed, glancing over her shoulder at the past Spike, and just nodded. 


	6. Pictures

Author: Shroomie  
  
Title: Family Links  
  
Spoilers: Set after Tabula Rosa  
  
Disclaimer: They are not mine, but I wouldn't mind borrowing Spike.  
  
Reviewers: I started using paragraphs and intend to keep it that way. Sorry about the first few chapters-I will go back and fix those later. Thanks for all the awesome feedback! Happy writer! (  
  
*** Spike looked around the Magic Box while Buffy and Giles talked. He noticed them glancing at him every few moments, but he pretended otherwise.  
  
The shop didn't look like it had changed that much over the years. They must have gotten new tables and chairs at some point, but other then that, it looked pretty much the same. *Slayer must of broken the last set. Figures.* Spike thought.  
  
He walked behind the counter, idly examining the supplies on the shelves (typical things-candles, incense, spell books). He picked up a set of candles, smelling them. *Ugh, sage! Who would ever want a sage scented candle?* Spike wondered. He put the candles back on the shelf, knocking over a book as he did.  
  
Picking the book up, Spike almost put it back on the shelf, before he noticed it was a photo album. On the front cover was a picture of the entire Scooby gang: Buffy, Xander, Willow, Dawn, Anya, Tara, and Giles. They were all smiling, especially Buffy, who looked very happy. Spike felt a twinge of pain because he wasn't included in the picture.  
  
He opened the album carefully. The first few pages had pictures of Buffy, Xander, and Willow in high school, along with Giles in the library. Continuing further, Anya, Dawn, and Tara started appearing.  
  
Spike almost laughed out loud at a picture of Buffy trying to cook something. Dawn and Tara were laughing in the background, so Willow had most likely taken the picture. The Slayer was covered in flour and stood looking in amazement at the mess around her.  
  
Spike flipped towards the back of the book, glancing at pictures of Xander and Anya's wedding, Dawn's graduation, Willow and Tara's handfasting ceremony. He stopped abruptly on a page that included him. His mouth fell open as he saw a picture of him holding a tiny infant asleep in his arms. He was staring down at the baby with a look of pure love, oblivious to anything else. Spike traced the outline of the baby slowly with his finger.  
  
"Spike?" "Spike?" Giles and Buffy had finished their conversation and the former Watcher was trying to get the vampire's attention.  
  
"What? Huh?" Spike finally realized someone was talking to him. He glanced over at the others, grinning sheepishly, embarrassed at being caught gawking at a picture. He slammed the book shut, quickly setting it back in its place.  
  
"Well, as I was trying to say," Giles smiled slightly at the vampire's obvious discomfort, "Maybe we should briefly explain to you why you're here then head back to Buffy's for the night."  
  
As Spike nodded, Giles continued. "Buffy's told me how you got here, but not why you're here. Buffy?"  
  
The Slayer took a deep breath and began. "We've been having problems with the demon population here lately. There has been a large increase in, well, demons. Spike, uh, that is, my Spike, and I have been patrolling a lot recently, 'cause of," "The demons?" Spike interjected.  
  
Buffy smiled, "Yeah. We went out on a routine patrol six days ago and ran into a big group. We took out about half of them, but the rest divided. Spike and I split up, planning to meet back at our house, like always. Only he didn't come back." Buffy's eyes started to water.  
  
Spike felt horrible, knowing that once again he was the one causing his love pain. He saw the tears in her eyes and desperately wanted to comfort her, but he wasn't sure how.  
  
Buffy took a few deep breaths and continued, shaking her head to regain her composure. "He left no trace. Xander and I searched all over town for him. Willow and Tara even did a locator spell, but it can't find him anywhere." She fell silent as she finished.  
  
Giles was the first to break the silence. "Don't worry Buffy, we'll find him." He glanced meaningfully at Spike, motioning him towards the door. "Come on now, we'd better get you home, so we can figure out what we know. Now, what kind of demons were they?"  
  
Spike smiled as the Watcher continued asking questions about his future kidnappers-if he was still alive, well undead at least. *Looks like a lot of things haven't changed around here. Same old Watcher* Spike thought. Noticing Buffy still holding her head high and proud, he smiled again. *Same old Slayer, too* 


	7. Patrol

Author: Shroomie  
  
Title Family Links  
  
Disclaimer: Joss is god. I am merely a lower level angel with a crooked halo that wishes to play with his creations.  
  
Reviewers: This chapter is longer, as I was inspired by a very nice talk with my little sister. The twelve-year-old's wise words of inspiration: are you still writing that?!  
  
*********************** By the time Spike, Buffy, and Giles arrived at the house, Kat was in bed. Dawn was sitting at the kitchen table, papers spread all around her. Buffy gave her a quick hello before taking Giles upstairs to put his stuff away.  
  
Spike, left standing in the entranceway, paced nervously. He glanced around, noting the small changes in the house. The pictures going up the stairs were different. The first was one he had seen before, Buffy with Joyce and Dawn. Next to that were Dawn's graduation shots, high school and college, then one of Buffy, Xander, and Willow at the beach. There were a few of Kat, first as a baby, then a toddler, then a little girl, together with Alex. The last picture caught Spike's eye. It was a portrait, like the ones done at studios. Spike was in the center, Buffy sitting next to him, Kat kneeling at their feet.  
  
*we look so happy* Spike thought.  
  
"You could actually come in, you know. It's only your house." Dawn's voice pulled Spike out of his own thoughts. He shook his head to clear it, walking into the kitchen. "Hey, 'lil bit." Dawn smiled at her nickname. Spike, noticing all the paperwork around her, pulled up a chair as he asked, "What's all this?"  
  
"Just some papers from the office." Dawn started cleaning up the mess.  
  
"Office?" Spike asked in surprise, "You work?"  
  
Dawn just rolled her eyes. "Of course I work. What'd you think, that I'd stay fifteen forever?" When Spike didn't answer, she continued. "well, here's the short version. I graduated, went to Sunnydale Community College, got a degree and went to work as a legal aide at the local law firm. It pays the bills, plus, I can help the rest of the group when things happen that are a little hard to explain in court, since those type of things happen a lot around here."  
  
Dawn's explanation was simple, yet Spike was still surprised at her words. She had grown up, he realized, grown from the teenager he had seen only yesterday into the woman before him. He looked at her more closely, a slow smile spreading across his face. Dawn looked up at his steady gaze, suddenly feeling self-conscious.  
  
"What?" she asked. Spike smiled broader as he spoke quietly. "You're beautiful." Dawn blushed, ducking her head as she finished putting her papers in her bag.  
  
Buffy had come down the stairs right after Spike entered the kitchen, but she lingered on the bottom step, listening to the exchange between her sister and her, well. *what is he, exactly?* Buffy thought *he's not the Spike I know, not the Spike I love*  
  
She sat down on the stop. *but he will become that Spike* she told herself. She smiled as she heard the surprise in his voice at finding that Dawn had a job. How hard it must be to be pulled suddenly into the future and to have to face everyone you know in a different time. *at least he wasn't magicked into the past. I probably would have killed him* Buffy chuckled at the thought, getting up to join her family.  
  
"Buffy," Dawn noticed her sister standing in the doorway, "I was just packing up."  
  
"Actually, Dawnie, would you mind staying tonight?" Buffy asked, "I thought Spike and I might do a quick patrol." Dawn nodded, putting her bag back down. Buffy started out the back door, stopping on the porch, waiting for Spike to follow. With one last smile at Dawn, he joined the Slayer outside. As the pair disappeared into the dark, Dawn shook her head and smiled, pulling her papers back out of her bag and settling back to work.  
  
****************************** The Slayer and vampire walked in silence. They reached the graveyard where Spike's crypt was, or used to be, in this time. Spike, although he didn't know what to say, couldn't stand the silence anymore.  
  
"So, Slayer." *oh yeah, great start there. 'oh slayer' bloody brilliant* Spike mentally slapped himself. "I mean, um, Slayer, I that is, um, how are you? *oh yeah, 'cause that is so much better, you ponce, ask her how she is after everything that she just told you about what's going on here. Hell, even the demon girl would've said something better*  
  
Buffy, seeing the stupid look on Spike's face as he silently cursed himself, bit her lip to keep from laughing. She took a deep breath to steady herself. It didn't work. She burst out in a fit of laughter, laughing so hard she had to sit down on a nearby tombstone.  
  
*she's lost it* Spike thought. Nothing else could explain it. He shook his head in wonder at the sight of Buffy doubling over. She slid off the tombstone to rest on the ground.  
  
"Thanks Spike," Buffy finally stopped laughing enough to choke out a few words. Now Spike was really confused. *did she just thank me?* he wondered.  
  
"Um, not that I mind, luv, but what?" Spike was definitely confused.  
  
"Your face," Buffy started, but quickly amended her words when she saw how his face fell. "I mean, you were just trying so hard. It was cute." She stopped laughing and stood up, wiping her hands off on her jeans. Realizing that Spike was staring at her, she cleared her throat self- consciously and continued walking.  
  
"Um, so," Buffy didn't know where to start either. "Yeah, how did your talk with Dawn go?"  
  
"Okay," Spike hesitated. He still wasn't sure how he felt about all of this. Buffy could tell he was very mixed up inside and she let him take his time. Being with Spike for over ten years, she had learned to read his moods. This one was a quiet thinking kind, almost brooding. Almost.  
  
"It's just weird, you know?" Spike continued, letting himself think aloud. "I mean, just a few hours ago, everyone was fine, just the way they were supposed to be. Now, suddenly, everyone is older. Bit's graduated, got a job, doesn't even live at the house. The witches got a kid, whelp and demon girl's got a kid, hell, even I've got a kid." He stopped walking, reaching in his coat pocket for a cigarette. After lighting it, he continued, "It's just a lot's different, it's a lot to take in, you know?"  
  
Buffy nodded. "Well, if you have any questions?"  
  
Spike thought carefully. There were hundreds of things he wanted to know about this future, things about Buffy and him, Dawn, the other, Kat. Remembering the picture of him holding the baby, he decided to start there.  
  
"How did we have a daughter?" He spoke quietly, but Buffy could sense the seriousness in his voice.  
  
"It was a prophecy. Isn't everything always a prophecy?" she smiled wryly. "Giles found it in a book after we found out I was pregnant. He actually knows more about it then I do, something with magic and the stars and that stuff, oh, plus the fact she's supposed to save the world one day. I didn't care then. All I knew at the time was we were gonna have a baby." Buffy looked at him. "We were happy."  
  
Spike nodded, throwing down his cigarette, absorbing the information silently for a moment. "And us?" he asked, "How did that happen?"  
  
Buffy took a deep breath, stopping to sit on the edge of a crypt opening. "That's a little more complicated. Let's see, you come from after our little musical and the whole 'Randy Giles' shindig," Spike cringed at the memory, causing Buffy to smile. "So we've started something. I can't really tell you all of it, 'cause Giles thinks that if you know too much it could, let me see, 'cause dire repercussions on the existence of the future as we know it'."  
  
Spike snorted at the Watcher's choice of words. "Yeah, right."  
  
Buffy, choosing to ignore him, continued, "Let's just say it happens. I don't think either of us planned on it, I know *I* didn't, but it did." She finished with a shrug. "So now we have the house and the kid, the whole deally thing."  
  
"What, no dog?" Spike asked sarcastically.  
  
Buffy gave him a cheesy smile. "No dog, but we do have a. . .duck!"  
  
Spike's confused look returned. "Duck, we have a duck?" he managed to ask the question before getting hit from behind by a very large demon. He fell to the ground, Buffy jumping over him, ready to fight.  
  
There was only one demon and two vampires, but all were large and they did not look happy. As Buffy fought the demon, Spike, recovering quickly, rolled out of her way. He stood up, sneaking behind the other two, who were standing to the side, watching the Slayer fight.  
  
Spike tapped one on the shoulder. The vampire turned his head, his eyes widening as he recognized Spike's face. A quick punch sent him to the ground; a kick to the head and the other vampire joined him. "B-b-but how, how did you escape?" the first one stammered out as Spike pulled a stake and dusted the second one.  
  
"What?" Spike turned to the now standing first vampire, "What did you say?" Before he could receive an answer, the vampire disappeared in a burst of dust. Buffy, who had finished off the demon, had come up from behind and staked him in the back.  
  
"Ha. Take that, blood breath." She brushed the dust off her coat, smiling proudly at Spike. "You okay?"  
  
Spike didn't answer her at first. He was still trying to understand what the vampire had meant. Shaking his head slightly, he shook out his duster.  
  
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked with concern in her voice that would have made the vampire ecstatic at any other moment.  
  
"He said something, when he saw me. He said 'how did you escape?'" Spike's eyes lit up as he realized what it meant. "Buffy, that means I'm still alive, well, undead at least. He must have been with the demons who took me, and I'm still there."  
  
Buffy wasn't sure whether to be happy that her Spike was still not dusty or sad because someone who could have led her to him was. She thought about his as they started to walk home. "Spike?" he raised his head at his name, "vampires don't like demons much do they?"  
  
"No, not usually. Why?" he responded.  
  
"Well, that just means these vampires must have a pretty good reason for joining up with the demons who took you." Buffy cocked her head to the side, trying to think what that reason might be. "I don't know. Let's get back home. We could use some sleep. We'll talk it over with Giles in the morning." She looked at her watch. "Well, later in the morning." ****************************** When Spike woke up, it was already daylight. Buffy had pulled the curtains shut in the living room so he wouldn't fry. *considerate of her* he thought. Rubbing his eyes, he stood up and stretched a little. Looking around, he noticed that it didn't seem like anyone else was home.  
  
"Spike?" Dawn called from the kitchen, "Are you up yet?"  
  
"Yeah, Dawnie, I'm up," he walked in to see her, "What's going on? Where is everyone?" No one else was in the kitchen. Dawn finished the juice she was drinking, tossing the empty cup into the sink.  
  
"Buffy and Giles went to see someone he knows to try and find out about vampire and demon alliances," Dawn spoke quickly as she put her coat on and grabbed her bag. Spike, noticing her actions, became a little suspicious.  
  
"Um, bit, where's Kat?" he asked.  
  
Dawn smiled slyly. "Well, what a good question. She's upstairs, in her room. I have to run to the office, Buffy and Giles will be back a little after lunch, food's in the fridge, numbers are by the phone, you'll be fine."  
  
Before Spike could protest, she was running out the back door. Hearing a giggle, he turned around. Kat was standing in the doorway, smiling. *bloody hell* was all Spike could think. 


	8. Ice Cream, HideNSeek, and Plans of Actio...

Ice Cream, Hide-N-Seek, and Plans of Action  
  
Author: Shroomie  
  
Title: Family Links  
  
Disclaimer: Joss is god. I am not. Therefore, they are not mine, they are his.  
  
*** Spike had never felt more panicked in his life. He had faced demons, slayers, even the occasional hell-god, but nothing could have prepared him for this moment.  
  
*they left me alone with a kid! they left me alone with a kid? they left me alone with a kid?* Spike kept running the same question through his mind. Kat, still in the doorway, observed him with a now serious face.  
  
*he's still my dad, I guess. I mean, yeah, still my dad, but not my dad. he's not evil now at least, well, not like he used to be, I guess. hmmmm, he's not like he used to be, which means he doesn't know the rules. this could be fun* Kat thought as Spike finished his mental questioning and started to look around frantically, as if another babysitter would magically appear.  
  
Kat decided to take it easy on him. *well, not too easy* she thought.  
  
"Um, can I get a snack?" she asked, thinking this would be a simple request, even for him. *after all, we are in a kitchen* she thought.  
  
*snack?! oh no, I have to feed it already?! not it, her, your daughter, relax, just get her some food. anything.* Spike looked around. There was nothing on the counter, so he opened up the fridge.  
  
"Can we have ice cream?" Kat asked, sliding under his arm to look in with him. Spike jumped back when he heard her. He hadn't realized she had moved until she spoke and it had scared him. A lot.  
  
*oh, pathetic vampire, scared by a little girl* he thought, before being hit by a wave of pride that his daughter was sneaky and stealthy. *hmmm, wonder what all traits she got from the vampire side?*  
  
"So can we?" Kat asked again, impatiently this time.  
  
"Can we what?" Spike had already forgotten her question.  
  
Kat sighed, acting as if he had forgotten the most important thing in the world, and stressed each word as she spoke. "Can we have ice cream?"  
  
"In the morning?" Spike asked, "You eat ice cream in the morning?" Kat nodded solemnly, pouting her lips just a little for effect, in case he was thinking of saying no. Spike wasn't sure what to do. Surely Buffy wouldn't let their daughter eat ice cream in the morning. But, Buffy wasn't here.  
  
*so then I guess it's up to me.* he thought, looking down at the pouting little girl, *bloody hell, she's pouting now, just give her the ice cream* he concluded.  
  
Kat beamed when he handed her the container. *well, that was easier than I thought. I wonder what else I can guilt him into doing?* she thought as she made herself a sundae.  
  
*** Half an hour later, Kat finished her ice cream and put her bowl in the sink. Spike looked around the kitchen and cringed. There was ice cream on the counter, milk spilt on the table, and a line of chocolate syrup that went from the fridge to the counter to the table and back to the fridge.  
  
*Buffy's gonna kill me. must clean up the kitchen before her and the Watcher get back.* he looked around again and nodded once to himself *yep, clean kitchen, check. so, where do they, uh, I mean we, keep the cleaning stuff?*  
  
"Kat, where do we keep the," he trailed off when he realized she was no longer in the kitchen. He wondered into the living room.  
  
No sign of Kat, but he did find a little slip of paper. For a split second he wondered if it could be a ransom note and he could have sworn his heart skipped a beat. Picking the paper up slowly, he read it and swore.  
  
*great. just bloody brilliant Spike. they leave you alone with the kid for half an hour and you lose her already. stupid, stupid, stupid. ok, now I'm startin' to sound like Angel. stop being such a nancy and find the kid. right, find the kid, beat her to death for scaring you, bury the body, clean the kitchen. you have a plan.*  
  
"Definitely a nancy," Spike murmured as he left the kitchen, "Can't be too hard though. How many places can a little kid hide?" ***  
  
An hour later, Spike concluded that the number of places little kids can hide was too high to count. He pulled a crumbled piece of paper out of his pocket to read it for the hundredth time since he found it on the living room table.  
  
Dad, oops, I mean Spike, Come find me, if it takes all week, Me and you are playing Hide-N-Seek! I'm somewhere close, but you can't see, So hurry up and come find me! Kat  
  
Spike smiled wryly. *I see she got my skill at poetry* he thought. He sat down on the couch to try and figure out where she was. He had already checked the living room, the hallway, and all of upstairs. He also checked the kitchen, even though he was in it when she hid.  
  
She might have gone outside. He pulled the curtain aside just a bit to glance in the yard. Sunlight poured into the room, and he quickly pulled his hand back. No, she wouldn't have gone outside in the light, not if she expected him to ever find her. And he had to find her. Buffy was going to be home soon and he knew he would be dust if he lost Kat.  
  
"Where else Spike? Come on, think, think, where else could someone hide in this house?" he thought out loud, his eyes roaming over the room.  
  
"The basement!" he shouted, congratulating and cursing himself mentally, for realizing he had forgotten the basement and being stupid enough to forget it.  
  
He jumped up from the couch, hurrying to the basement door, when he heard a slight giggle coming from behind him. He slowed to a stop, turning his head to search for the source of the noise. It came from the corner where he had thrown his trench coat earlier. Narrowing his eyes, he noticed the slightest movement coming from underneath the coat.  
  
Realizing he had been tricked the entire time, Spike almost growled in frustration. He had torn apart the whole house looking for his daughter when she was hiding under his coat the entire time. Now, instead of a messy kitchen, Buffy would be coming home to a trashed house. Plus, he had nearly gone insane with worry.  
  
*well* Spike thought, smiling to himself *two can play this game*.  
  
He walked over to the front door, sighing dramatically as he went.  
  
"No, she wouldn't have gone into the basement. She must have gone outside. Now what am I supposed to do?" He heard the giggle he was listening for and almost chuckled along before regaining his composure.  
  
"Well, I can't leave her out there. This note says I have to find her," Spike spoke louder as he opened the door a little, careful not to get burned.  
  
"Guess I'll just have to go out and get her!" he yelled, before throwing the door wide open, jumping into the kitchen for protection.  
  
"No!" Kat screamed, throwing the coat off and running into the hallway. She stopped in the open doorway, her eyes huge in her face as she looked on the ground and floor for ashes.  
  
"What's a matter, pet? Looking for me?" Spike leaned against the wall, careful to stay in the shadows.  
  
Kat's face changed from a look of confusion, to one of relief, to one of disbelief, and finally settled on angry. She slammed the door closed, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting.  
  
"That was so not fair! You cheated!" she yelled indignantly.  
  
"*I* cheated? *I* cheated? You disappeared on me, hid from me, making me worry that something had taken you and hurt you or killed you even," Spike found himself yelling back at her.  
  
"I left you a note." Kat explained, her voice quieting as she realized she'd really made him upset. "I didn't think you'd get mad. We play this all the time." She uncrossed her arms and looked down as she finished.  
  
Spike's anger melted when she glanced back up at him briefly, before hurrying to put her head back down, all the while trying to look apologetic.  
  
"I'm not mad, pet. Just worried, that's all. Wouldn't want anything to happen to you." Spike was surprised to hear the level of concern in his voice. Kat heard it too and came forward to put her arms around him. Spike hugged her back, fiercely.  
  
Suddenly the door flew open again, causing Kat to yell and Spike to jump backwards suddenly, hitting a picture off the wall as he did.  
  
Buffy quickly shut the door, Giles looking rather apologetic.  
  
"Sorry, um, Spike, didn't realize you would be standing right in the doorway." Giles took in the sight of the ruffled vampire before him, smiling slightly, before turning to the little girl at his side.  
  
"Grandpa Giles!" Kat squealed as he lifted her into a hug, "When did you get here?"  
  
"Last night, rather late I'm afraid. You were already in bed." Giles gave her another squeeze and put her down. He cleared his throat sharply, indicating for Buffy and Spike to go into the living room. He turned back to Kat, noticing that she now frowned.  
  
"I know, I know, grown-up business, I'll go upstairs," she said, pouting as she walked slowly towards the stairs, looking longingly over her shoulder.  
  
Buffy smiled at her daughter, then shifted her glance to Spike. Over his shoulder, the kitchen was visible. "Spike," she asked calmly, "What did you do to our kitchen?"  
  
Spike flinched. "Um, well, that is," he mumbled.  
  
Buffy nodded. "Uh-huh, get in there and clean it up. Now," she ordered. Noticing Kat laughing quietly on the steps, she added, "And you too." Spike smiled despite himself as Kat looked outraged at the suggestion and followed into the kitchen.  
  
*** A short while later, the rest of the group had been assembled for an emergency meeting. Xander, Anya, Willow, Tara, and Dawn joined the adults in the living room while Rosie and Alex joined Kat upstairs. After everyone had settled on the couch, Spike a little unsure of how close he should sit to Buffy, Giles began his explanation of the morning's events.  
  
"As you know, um, Spike, you are missing, and, well, since you were brought here, things have gotten rather interesting indeed, and now that I've been called here, although I think I should have been called sooner," Giles began.  
  
"Do you think you could get on with it this century, Watcher?" Spike interrupted, "I do have other things to be doing, like returning to my *own* time."  
  
Giles began to make a comment back, but was silenced with a glare from Buffy. He sighed and continued, bluntly this time. "There's a ritual, it will open the hell mouth, a small group of vampires and lower demons are working for a powerful demon, he needs your blood."  
  
"So this is just a run-of-the-mill apocalypse thingy?" Xander asked gleefully. When everyone looked at him, slight shock on their faces, he frowned. "Guess I said that a little too happy, huh?"  
  
Spike concealed a smile as Giles continued. "Yes, well, moving on, now that we do have the past Spike here, Willow and Tara can use his blood to make a stronger tracing spell that should lead us to him, and thus, to the demon."  
  
"Once we get there, Spike runs distraction, making the minions think he escaped. Xander and Anya, you two will be waiting with Giles to take care of them. Spike and I will go on to fight the demon thing while Dawn frees present Spike and Willow and Tara help with whatever magic they can wherever they can. Everyone got it?" Buffy asked.  
  
With nods all around, she continued, "We leave at nightfall."  
  
*** "Did you hear that? We're gonna go get Daddy free tonight!" Kat exclaimed from her eavesdropping spot on the steps.  
  
"Not *we* Kat, them, the adults are gonna go and get your Dad," Alex said.  
  
"Yeah, we'll probly have to stay with Uncle Clem or something," Rosie added.  
  
Kat thought about this for a second before her face lit up with an evil grin. "Hey Rosie, do you think you could grab one of your Moms' books on glamours?" 


End file.
